Chapter 14
Fourteen
Noble sat inside the car, sending a text back to Nuke.
He looked up and spotted Daysha emerging from the hair salon.
Her hand hovered over her eyes to shield it from the beaming sun.
Noble watched her look around until she spotted his car.
Ambling over, she opened the door and got inside.
Her lavender scent, quickly spilled into the interior as she looked at him.
“What, Noble?” she asked dryly.
Taking a deep breath, he had to mentally prepare himself for this conversation with Daysha. Always so difficult, he sometimes had to handle her with all the patience he possessed.
“I need you and Kenji to go stay at my condo for a little while.”
Her nose crinkled while scoffing. “For what?”
“Because I wanna make sure y’all are safe.”
Turning her body toward him, she questioned, “What’s going on?”
Noble didn’t feel comfortable sharing the battle between him and Tuck with Daysha. She would panic and go telling the hens at the salon all his business. To avoid that, he told her the bare minimum.
“Nothing, I just need to make sure nobody has access to y’all. At the condo, you’ll be protected.”
With pursed lips, she peered at him until she said, “I don't want to.”
Noble’s head fell back as he prayed for more patience. “That’s not an option, Daysha. Just do what I said. Why you gotta make this shit so hard?”
“I will once you tell me what’s going on? Does TLM have beef with somebody?”
“No.”
“Bullshit,” she lashed. “You think I ain't heard about what’s going on in the streets. Did that funny-looking bitch get you into some shit?”
Noble immediately glowered at her. “Watch your fucking mouth. I don't let her disrespect you so you can’t do it to her.”
Like a child, Daysha angrily folded her arms over her chest. “You really put her ass on a pedestal. I can’t believe you left your marriage to play side nigga.”
Daysha was so fucking predictable. Noble wasn’t surprised they had gotten to this part of the conversation. She always found ways to navigate their discussion to their failed marriage.
“Bruh, stay on topic. I need you to go to the condo.”
“Nope.”
Angling his head, he retorted, “Why you being so fucking difficult? Just do what I said. You know I’m not telling you this shit just because. It’s for you and my son’s safety.”
“I don't have to do anything you say, Noble. You're not my husband anymore. I don't need your protection. So, don't come to my job acting like you're about to save the day. Give that energy to your girlfriend.”
Noble cracked his knuckles and inhaled deeply. This woman had the ability to take him to the red zone. If he didn’t possess any self-control, she would’ve provoked him to a wrath so dangerous that it would place her in harm’s way.
After a silent countdown in his head, Noble said, “A’ight, cool. I’ll just make sure my son is good. Get the fuck out my car.” He popped the locks.
“What you mean by that?”
“Bye, Daysha,” he dismissed her. “You choose to be difficult when it’s not necessary. Get yo’ ass back to work.”
“No, you choose to play roles when you know it’s not necessary.
Don't come here acting like you care about me when I know you don't. You're just like the rest of these niggas.
Just because you wear nice fancy clothes and have some money don't make you different.
You're a low-down nigga who don't even deserve my time!”
Noble didn’t care to respond. She already had this notion in her mind that he was the bottom of the barrel.
He was done trying to defend his character.
Yes, he had left her because he was never in love with her.
Yes, he had only married her because she was pregnant.
He admitted a long time ago that he didn’t handle her correctly.
Noble wished he would’ve given Daysha good memories instead of heartbreak.
However, their ending happened years ago and Noble decided that he would no longer dwell there.
“You right. Now, get out.”
Daysha stared at him, tears congregating in her eyes. “I don't understand you.”
“And you never will.”
Even when they were married, Noble held back a lot from Daysha. They weren’t compatible at all. She was water and he was gasoline. They were never supposed to be together. He was amazed they had lasted as long as they did.
“Wow,” she muttered, “you really don't care about how you ruined me.”
He sucked his teeth. “I don't anymore, Daysha. Now get the fuck out before I drag you out.”
She peered at him with so much agony in her orbs but Noble was no longer affected by her pain.
He’d paid for the heartache he’d inflicted on her.
He’d almost drowned in the guilt of pulling the rug from under her feet.
Noble had been the villain in Daysha’s story for years so her words didn’t penetrate him how she thought it would.
The days of being emotionally tied to her were long gone and would never return.
Reluctantly, she pulled on the handle and got out the car. Noble drove away, neglecting to ensure that she’d walked in the salon safely. He had more pressing matters to get to than arguing with her.
Twenty minutes later, he arrived at Irish’s townhouse.
The yearning he had for her felt like stage five of a deadly disease.
Noble attempted to block her from his psyche but failed miserably.
That girl lived in his brain. He’d been wondering what she was doing every single hour of the day.
If he got hungry, he thought about what she had eaten that day.
When he laid down to go to sleep, he pondered if she was getting a good night’s rest. Noble was dying on the inside because he didn’t have his heart.
Getting out the car, he walked up the small set of steps and rang the doorbell.
A few moments passed by and the door opened.
Ivory appeared, wearing an innocent beam with a water bottle in her hand.
She looked to be in the middle of a workout with sweat coating her almond skin.
Ivory’s look was vastly different from Irish.
Her hair was jet black and her eyes were a light brown color.
The only feature Ivory and her sister shared were freckles that danced across her nose and cheeks.
“Oh, hey, Noble.”
He gave her a nod. “What’s up, Ivory? Is your sister here?”
Shaking her head, she confirmed, “No, she’s out of town. She went to see Cali in Diamond Falls.”
It felt like an arrow had shot through Noble’s heart. He had his mind fixed on seeing his Pumpkin. He wanted to hold her in his arms and engulf her scent. Knowing he couldn’t do that left him so weary internally.
“You know her birthday is Saturday so she’s celebrating it with Cali,” Ivory offered.
He nodded. “Yeah, I know… You good, though?”
“Um, yeah.”
“Do you need anything?”
Immediately, her brows furrowed. “You really mean that?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?”
“Oh, I… just… I don't know but no, I’m okay. Just didn’t expect you to ask me that.”
He smirked. “Why not? You're important to Irish, right?”
She bobbed her head.
“Then, you're important to me.”
“But I thought you two broke up.”
Noble rubbed his hand down his waves. They had broken up but deep down in his heart, he knew it was temporary. Their emotions had been high. He had made a bad decision and Irish called him out for it.
“We just took a break.”
“Oh, okay.” She leaned against the door frame. “Thank you for looking out for my sister. She’s been through a lot… even with Jovanis. He was good to her but I know their situation took a lot out of Irish sometimes.”
Noble nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
“I just want her to be happy. I don't want her to suffer anymore. She deserves to live a soft life. Irish had to carry a lot on her shoulders, including me. I’ve been a burden all her life so can you promise to take care of her?”
Noble despise how Ivory thought she was a burden to Irish. There was nothing burdensome about the way Irish cared for her sister. She was her baby and he needed to let her know that.
“Aye, you're not a burden to your sister. You're the first person she thinks of in every situation. When she speaks about you, it’s always with love, so don't ever think you’re a burden. You're Irish’s heart.”
Ivory’s gaze drifted to the ground as she bobbed her head. “Okay.”
“If you need anything, just holla at me. You got my number, right?”
“Yeah.” She smiled. “I did a background check on you when Irish told me about you. I needed to make sure you weren’t a con artist.”
He smirked, not offended by her efforts to protect Irish. “Yeah, a’ight. Be safe, Ivory.”
“Okay, bye, Noble.”
He walked back to his car, plotting inside his mind on how he would get his Pumpkin back.
Days later…
Cali rapped, “After the show it’s the after party and—”
“It’s time to go back to the loft,” Irish interrupted her.
“Don't cut my verse off. I was just getting to the best part.”
It had been a day of pampering and fun. After getting up, Cali and Irish went to the spa. Afterward, they had brunch at a popular spot then went shopping. Now they were heading back to Cali’s so they could get dressed for dinner.
Cali had found a winery on a train that ran through the outskirts of Diamond Falls. Despite her not being able to drink, Irish was excited to share this new experience with Cali.
“Damn, I needed this trip,” she confessed, sitting on the passenger side of Cali’s car.
“I can tell. I hated how sad you sounded before you came.”
“Yeah, me too,” she mumbled.
Surprisingly, Irish hadn’t cried in two days.
Usually, she ended her night with tears, thinking about Jovanis and Noble.
Cali had been keeping her busy since she’d been in Diamond Falls.
Still, she couldn’t keep thoughts of Noble away.
She thought of him every hour of the day.
Irish needed him so bad but she didn’t want to make the first move, especially since he was the one that ended the relationship.